Tennis-court-tape reel.



. w. H. HOLCOMB.

TENNIS COURT TAPE REEL. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 12. 1914.

1,199,790. Patented 001;. 3,1916.

W277? 668 es [7? 22972107 UNITED STATES PATENT omnon WILLIAM H. HOLGOMB, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO J. HUNTER SMITH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TENNIS-COUBT-TAPE REEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1916.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. H01.-v COMB, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tennis-Court-Tape,Reels, of which the following is. a specification.

The main objects of this invention are to provide an improved form of reel for coiling tape and permitting the coil to be quickly and conveniently removed from the reel; to provide an improved frame construction for guiding the tape as it is coiled, and an improved arrangement of the crank thereon whereby the frame and crank are adapted to be instantly separated so as to release the coil of material; and to provide a reel of this kind which is simple, inexpensive, and particularly adapted for coiling tennis-court ta e.

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved tape ree Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the crank removed from the frame. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a coil of tape removed from the frame.

In the construction shown in the drawings, the frame A is formed of a flat strip of metal bent to form parallel side arms 5 and 6 connected by a transverse end part 7, and having its ends 8 secured to ahandle 9. The handle 9 may be of any suitable construction, either wood or metal, and the ends of the frame 4 may -be secured thereto in any manner that is found expedient.

The crank 10 is preferably formed of a steel rod bent in two places to provide a shaft 11 and a handle 12. The shaft 11 extends loosely through apertures 13 in the arms 5 and 6. No means are provided for securing the crank on the frame, as it is desired to have it instantly removed from or inserted into the frame as occasion may demand.

A slot 14 extends inwardly from the end of the shaft 11 throughout substantially the entire length thereof. A guide slot 15 for the tape is formed in the end 7 of the frame 4:. The reel shown is operated in the following manner: The end 16 of the tape 17, for example a length of tennis-court copies or this patent may be obta n tape, is passed through the slot 15 and inserted through the slit 14 in the crank shaft 11. The end of the tape is allowed to protrude through the slit for a short distance so that when the crank is turned, the end of the tape will fold back upon itself and be securely held by friction. The arms 5 and 6 of the frame 4 serve as guides for the tape while it is being coiled, and the slot 15 properly directs the tape toward the coil. When the strip is entirely wound up, the coil may be quickly and conveniently removed from the frame by simply withdrawing the shaft 11 in an axial direction. The coil of tape 17, as shown in Fig. 3, may then be laid aside and the crank replaced in the frame to allow another strip to be coiled up. It is apparent that this construction provides a very simple and inexpensive reel which is particularly suitedfor coiling strips of material where it is desired to quickly remove the coils from the reel as fast as they are wound up. This is of particular advantage for coiling tapes such as are commonly used for marking OK the court.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that some details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined by the following claim. 7

I claim:

7 A portable hand reel, comprising a handle, a strip of metal bent to form a substantially rectangular frame attached at one end to said handle, and a one-piece crank formed of a rod having two 90 bends providing oppositely disposed arbor and crank handle, said frame having apertures formed in the sides thereof wherein said arbor is journaled, said arbor having a slot extending inwardly from the end thereof and adapted to engage and secure a tape for the purpose of coiling the same and being adapted to release the tape when said shaft is withdrawn axially from said frame.

Signed at Chicago this 10th day of November, 1914.

- WM. H. HOLOOMB. Witnesses:

EUGENE A. RUMMLER, M. IRENE HUTCHINGS.

Washing on, D. Q," 

